Declarative message addressing

Abstract

A messaging system, and method of operation thereof, which supports combinations of directory and mailing list addressing mechanisms. Intended message recipients are specified as declarative addresses, which may include combinations of directory and mailing list information. The messaging system includes a messaging server and an address resolution module. The messaging server receives a message from a sender system and transmits the message to the recipient system. The address resolution module, which is coupled to the messaging server, receives a declarative address associated with the message, resolves the declarative address into at least one messaging address and transmits the at least one messaging address to the messaging server. In one embodiment, a database system may be coupled to the address resolution module to allow address resolution based on information stored in a database. The address resolution module generates a database query based on the declarative address and transmits the generated query to a database system. The database system receives a database query, retrieves at least one messaging address specified by the query and transmits the retrieved at least one messaging address to the address resolution module.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A declarative messaging addressing system comprising: 
       a declarative address generator to receive a mailing list operand, a directory operand, and a logical operator and to generate a declarative address filter that specifies a logical combination of members of the mailing list and members of the directory satisfying the logical operator;  
       an address resolution module coupled to the declarative address generator, to receive the declarative address filter, to resolve the declarative address filter into a mailing list query and a directory query to respectively access a first set of members from the mailing list and a second set of members from the directory, to apply said logical operator to said first set and second set, and to output network addresses of members from said first and second sets that satisfy said logical operator; and  
       a messaging server coupled to said address resolution module and to a network, to receive said network addresses and to send a message to said members that satisfy said logical operator.  
     
     
       2. The messaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the message is an e-mail message. 
     
     
       3. The messaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the message is a voice-mail message. 
     
     
       4. The messaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the message is a fax message. 
     
     
       5. The messaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the message is a conference call. 
     
     
       6. The messaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the message is a paging message. 
     
     
       7. A declarative messaging addressing method comprising: 
       receiving a mailing list operand, a directory operand, and a logical operator and generating a declarative address filter that specifies a logical combination of members of the mailing list and members of the directory satisfying the logical operator;  
       resolving the declarative address filter into a mailing list query and a directory query to respectively access a first set of members from the mailing list and a second set of members from the directory;  
       applying said logical operator to said first set and second set, and outputting network addresses of members from said first and second sets that satisfy said logical operator; and  
       sending a message to said members that satisfy said logical operator, using said network addresses.  
     
     
       8. The messaging method of  claim 7 , wherein the message is an e-mail message. 
     
     
       9. The messaging method of  claim 7 , wherein the message is a voice-mail message. 
     
     
       10. The messaging method of  claim 7 , wherein the message is a fax message. 
     
     
       11. The messaging method of  claim 7 , wherein the message is a conference call. 
     
     
       12. The messaging method of  claim 7 , wherein the message is a paging message.